Maltreatment of children is not a new phenomenon. It dates back far
into history, even back to biblical times. During recent years child maltreatment has had an increase in the public's eye. There are many factors to child maltreatment. There are four general categories of child maltreatment now recognized. They are physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and emotional maltreatment. Each category, in turn, covers a range of behavior. The maltreatment of children not only affects the
children themselves, but also affects the family by making it dysfunctional.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse may be best defined as any non-accidental physical injury
by a person who has care, custody, or control of a child. The definition
contains two key aspects, the act is intentional or willful, and/or the act
resulted in physical injury. Accidental does not qualify as child abuse.
(Wallace,29)
Physical abused children do not fit any type of stereotype. Abuse
occurs in all neighborhoods. Also, abusers come in all shapes, sizes, colors,
and sexes. There are many signs of physical abuse.
First the location and types of injuries, many time the parent or care
takers will deny any wrong doing or the child has suffered any physical injury.
There are always those injuries that consist of a normal childhood upbringing,
such as falling of their bike or bumping their head. Then, there are those
which they cannot be explained. When caretakers deny any injuries or have no
knowledge of an injury, there is a very strong likely hood that physical abuse
exists. Here are some of the signs of physical abuse.
Bruises happen for various of accidental reasons. There are also
bruises that are tell tale signs of abuse. Bruises have a time clock that can
tell when it happened. Also, the location of the bruise can tell a story.
Bruises on the front part of the body are often signs of normal bruises from
just falling ECT. Bruises found on the back of the arm, leg, lower back, the
butt and genital are suspicious bruises and often questioned bruises. Patterned
bruising is also a sign of abuse. Normal bruises are in various shapes and
sizes. While some bruises that are a patterned show strong signs of abuse.
These are bruises that have definite boundaries and sharp and curved edges. For
example rope, rulers, hand prints and so on. (wallace,38)
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...e long run, parents that were neglected
during their childhood often neglected their children. Also, the children that
have psychological damage from maltreatment are more likely to indulge in
suicide and self mutilation. Nonphysically abused children are more likely to
have depression and hopelessness.
Children with inappropriate sexual behavior, such as frequent and overt
self stimulation are a direct constituency of sexual abuse. Non-sexually abused
children later on in life also sometimes show sexual overtones. Sexually abused
children may show high levels of dissociation, a process in a product a
disturbance in normal integrative functions of memory and identity. Many abused
children are able to self hypnotize themselves or space out.
It has been found that abuse as a child has affected their stages of
life. Studies have found that abused children have lower intellectual
functioning and reduced cognitive functioning. Others have found language
skills and verbal ability to be affected by abuse. Also, studies have suggested
that today's abused and neglected children are tomorrow's problem adult. We must all work to put and end to child abuse in America.
face. Playing contact hockey can result in bruises, broken bones and concussions, which makes it
Physical abuse takes many forms including hitting, punching, pulling hair, slapping, grabbing, biting, kicking, breaking bones, bruising, burning, twisting arms, throwing victims against walls and furniture, throwing objects and using weapons. It also includes damaging household goods, killing pets, and denial of human needs, like sleep and nutrition. Assault can be of a life-threatening nature resulting in broken bones, miscarriages and other serious injuries. A substantial proportion of victims are threatened or assaulted with weapons such as knives,
This webpage, the Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal, aims to provide access to research on the Canadian child welfare system. It looks upon the different forms of abuse including sexual, emotional, and physical abuse which affects a child’s wellbeing. As well, further links are provided to help readers understand the exposure of domestic violence and neglect within the household. According to this webpage, child abuse and neglect includes acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver which create a potential, threat or result of harm to a child. As well, supplementary links to frequent definitions used when discussing child
In the Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010, provided by the Government, there are four types of child abuse. Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual abuse and Neglect.
Child neglect and abuse is an unfortunate reality for many children today. It can have significant developmental impacts on children until they are an adult. Unfortunately it is not noticed until the damage is already done. Parents are the ones that are supposed to take care of their child. The consequences of a child getting mistreated young may endure long after the neglect occurs. People having children and not ready to be parents. Scaring the child for life because they decided that is was fun to beat on their child and abuse them mentally, and some even sexually. The effects can appear in all aspects of life, rather it is psychological or behavioral. There are three main effects of neglect and abuse that can range from minor physical injuries, not getting along with others, or can become aggressive and affect them later on in life.
Childhood trauma can be attributed to many forms of child abuse. It can be described as sexual abuse, physical maltreatment and the witnessing of domestic violence. Males and females that experience childhood trauma will develop impairment in their well-being and will most likely increase their chances in developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, “The stressful or traumatic event involves a situation where someone's life has been threatened or severe injury has occurred (ex. they may be the victim or a witness of physical abuse, sexual abuse, violence in the home or in the community, automobile accidents, natural disasters (such as flood, fire, earthquakes), and being diagnosed with a life threatening illness). A child's risk of developing PTSD is related to the seriousness of the trauma, whether the trauma is repeated, the child's proximity to the trauma, and his/her relationship to the victim(s).” Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (2011, March).
Child abuse is the intentional omission of care by a parent or guardian that can cause a
In Dent County alone, during the year of 2012, four children were physically abused, six were the objects of neglect, one was emotionally abused, and eleven more children were the victims of sexual abuse according to records kept by the Missouri Department of Social Services (“Child’s Division” 38). In that same year, 92,593 children were reported as being abused in the entire state of Missouri (“Child’s Division” 1). Fortunately, only 6,322 children were found to have been abused out of all of the children reported. However, an additional 7,092 were classified as ‘Unsubstantiated-Preventive Services Indicated.’ This means that not enough evidence existed to move further with prosecution, but still enough to indicate that abuse was imminent. Another 44,070 of the reports warranted an assessment of the child’s family in order to ensure the safety of the child (“Child’s Division” 5).
There are many indicators of physical abuse. Heavy bruising, abrasions, burns, sprains, and broken bones are only a few of the many indicators that physical abuse may be occurring in a household. On any individual, a child in this case, the best way to find out if they are being physically abused is to examine the bruises on their body. Many types of bruising are not accidental. Bilateral bruising on a person 's arm, neck, or waist may indicate that the individual had been restrained, grabbed, or even shaken. Bilateral bruising between the thighs may be an indicator of sexual abuse as well. When asking an individual or their family members how they received a mark the on their body, and they all provide different answers, the mark is most likely from some sort of physical abuse by a family member or close family friend. Physical abuse as a child teaches children that abusing other people is okay, and they do not know when to stop. This is one of the main reasons why serial killers are so violent when they get their hands on a victim. They were taught when they were young that you must cause an intense amount of harm to others. In the case of a serial killer, however, their intent is not just to harm. They intend to
Some key areas to keep in mind when observing if signs abuse are present include the arms, legs, and face. When examining a patient’s arms, there tends to be signs of bruising or lesions on the wrists of these individuals. The face can exhibit evidence of bruising on the skin around the eyes, forehead, or cheeks. Other things to pay attention to are skull fractures, a broken nose, or a busted lip (Wilkins, 2017, p. 936). It is important to remember, these injuries may not be recent.
The parent or caretaker may claim that the child did not intend to hurt the child, that the injury was an accident. It may however, have been the result of over-discipline or physical punishment that is inappropriate to the child?s age. In 1998 NCANDS (National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System) calculated the Fatalities by Maltreatment, Child Abuse and Neglect.... ... middle of paper ... ...
The Center of Disease Control and prevention defines child abuse as any act or series of events that results in harm, potential harm or threatens the child’s safety (Webb, 2007). While many people believe that child maltreatment is simply physical many other forms of maltreatment occur; sexual abuse, neglect and abandonment are also common forms of abuse. Domestic Violence is also included in the definition of child maltre...
Early signs of child abuse can be critical for a chance of recovery and appropriate treatment. Not all child abuse is obvious, but when one sees a warning it’s important to look for a pattern of abusive behavior and warnings. Some of the warning signs of emotional abuse include excessively withdrawn, fearful, or anxious. The child may show extreme behavior such as extreme aggressiveness. The child will not be attached to the parents of caregiver. In addition, they will engage in inappropriate activities such as thumb-sucking of throw tantrums. Early warning signs of physical abuse include frequent injuries, cuts, and unexpected bruising. The injurie may leave behind a hand or belt pattern. The child may shy away from touch by parents or caregiver, will flinch at sudden movements, and will seem afraid to go were the abuse is taking place. They may also wear inappropriate clothing such as long-sleeved shirts on hot days. Early warning s...
There are different kinds of physical abuse, not only hitting or beating but also sexual abuse and neglect. Sign of physical abuse are bruises, unexplained sprains and fractures. There are two different types of neglect. There is neglect when one’s parents are incapable of taking care of their children do to their own mental illness. This type of neglect affects how children interact with their parents. If their mother or father suffer from depression it will affect the way, the child learns how to interact with the world they are disconnected because their parents are. Another form of neglect is that the parents are full aware and decided not to take care of their child. This will also make it harder for children to form bounds with other latter on in life. A sign of neglect is poor hygiene, clothing that is dirty or ripped and lack of medical treatment. Then there is sexual abuse, sexual abuse teaches some children that love is associated with physical acts. It also affects the way children trust. Sign of sexual abuse are vaginal infections and wetting or soiling of the
They are four different type of child abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. According to Department of community, child safety and